Life-preserver.



No. 650,986. Patented June 5, I900. E. OMEYEB.

LIFE PRESERVER.

(Application filed Nov. 14, 1899.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT GEEICE.

EMILE OMEYER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LlFE-PRESERVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,986, dated June 5, 1900. Application filed November 14, 1899. fierial No. 736,984- (No modeld To (.LZZ 557M111, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMILE OMEYER, a citi zen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Floats or Life-Preservers, of which the following is a full and complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates'to air-filled floats, life-preservers, and buoys, and has for its object to provide a simple, cheap, readily-constructed, and perfectly-operating device of this character which, while light in weight and portable in form, will afford a practical means for floating any desired objectas a net, line, anchor, or the likewhich will act as a life-preserver for supporting one or more persons in the water, and which may also be used for the various purposes to which airfilled floats are or may beput.

The invention consists in the novel c011- struction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a plan view of my newly-invented .float or' life-preserver, and Fig. 2 is a Vertical central section thereof on the line 00a: of Fig. 1.

In the practice of my invention 1 construct an approximately-semispherical hollow body A, which is preferably spun from aluminium or similar light non-corrosive metal. The upper edge or perimeter a of this vessel is outwardly turned at substantially right angles thereto, being formed annularly concavo-convex, with the concave surface ct underneath forming a groove. This vessel may be of any suitable dimensions, according to the use to which it is desired to be put and the weight it is to sustain or resistance it is to offer to sinking or depression in the water. Upon the upper edge of this vessel A,II place a disk or circular sheet of a similar metal B, the main portion of which is of a size to fit immediately within the upper edge of the vessel A and is provided with an upraised annular rim b, relatively to which the main body of the disk is depressed, whereby an annular shoulder b is formed. This disk being placed in position upon the projecting edge a of the vessel A, I first insert a suitable quantity of white lead or other air-tight filling 0 between the flanges a and Z) and then spin or turn down the projecting edge of the flange I) over, upon, and beneath the flange a, to form an inwardly and downwardly ranging annular flange b ,with a rounded and outwardly turned edge 19 forming an externally-grooved extension b ,which is spun tightly against the outer face of the semispherical body A appreciably beneath the flange 01.

Within the groove of the annular extension 12 I place a heavy wire or pliable red O, which fits snugly therein and is substantially circular in form, whereby it eutirelysurrounds the vessel. At equidistant points opposite the four sides of the vessel this wire, which is originally considerably larger than the circumference of the vessel, is bent or twisted at d, d, 01 and d which rigidly tightens the wire within and around the grooved extension 6 and at the same time forms integral loops or handles D. It will be observed that by this means I produce an air-filled and airtight float of a form and construction capable of use for a variety of purposes and efiective either in small or large sizes. When it is placed in the water with any weight or object upon it, the device will, in virtue of the semispherical form of the body A, sink sufficiently to give a degree of lateral resistance or' stability to the float. Should it descend to such a level that the water surrounds the joint of the body A and the disk B, there will be no leakage, owing to the rigid and effective connection hereinabove described. Moreover, one or more objects placed upon the float will not be likely to slide off, from which they will be measurably prevented by the shoulder 19, this being noticeably advantageous in the use of the device as a life-preserver. I

By means of the various loops or handles D a person, particularly a child, may be socurely attached to the device. Through the instrumentality of these loops, moreover, a large number of the floats may be connected together, with their loops overlapping and mutually secured, so as to form a life-raft, as will be obvious from Fig. 1 of the drawings.

With these loops, moreover, the devices may be used as floats for fishing-nets and in similar connections, and a number of the same may also be placed in the hold of a small boat and suitably fastened in position, thereby acting as life-bags or means for preventing the vessel from sinking. However, it will be understood that there are a multitude of uses for which my invention is valuable, and I do not restrict myself in this regard, nor similarly in respect to various modifications of the device which may be necessary or desirable in adapting it to such multifarious purposes.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A float, life-preserver or the like, comprising a hollow vessel or body provided with an outwardly-ranging annular flange; a disk mounted upon the same and provided with a flange projecting over and beneath the flange of the said vessel or body and secured thereto in an air-tight manner; and a circumferential ring mounted in said downwardly-projecting flange and extending around the float; said ring being provided with means for connecting the float therethrough to a person or object.

2. A float, life-preserver or the like, comprising a hollow vessel or body provided upon its upper edge with an outwardly-ranging flange; a disk mounted upon said vessel and provided with a flange extending downwardly and inwardly over and beneath the flange of the said body or vessel and cemented thereto in an air-tight manner; said flange being outwardly turned to form a grooved extension lying against the face of the vessel; anda wire or red extending circumferentially of the float and closely seated in said grooved extension.

3. A float, life-preserver or the like, comprising a hollow vessel or body provided with an outwardly-ranging annular flange; a disk mounted upon the same and provided with a flange projecting over and beneath the flange of the said vessel or body and secured thereto in an air-tight manner; and a circumferential ring mounted in said downwardly-proj ecting flange and extending around the float; said wire being bent or twisted at intervals to form loops or handles integral therewith.

4. A float, life-preserver or the like, comprising a hollow vessel or body provided upon its upper edge with an outwardly-ranging flange; a disk mounted upon said vessel and provided with a flange extending downwardly and inwardly over and beneath the flange of the said body or vessel and cemented thereto in an air-tight manner; said flange being outwardly turned to form a grooved extension lying against the face of the vessel; and a wire or rod extending circumferentially of the float and closely seated in said grooved extension; said wire being bent or twisted at intervals to tighten the same within the said grooved extension and to form a plurality of integral loops or handles.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 13th day of November, 1899.

EMILE OMEYER.

Witnesses:

F. A. STEWART, V. M. Vosrnn. 

